SOUTH DEERFIELD — Good government is responsive to the needs of its people, state Education Secretary Matt Malone said Monday while touring Franklin County.

With that in mind, Malone visited three school districts in Deerfield, Williamsburg and Worthington to learn concerns of students, teachers and administration. He visited the Frontier Regional School and Deerfield Elementary School.

“I’m the secretary of education for the entire commonwealth. I need to know how I can help districts and develop policies that are beneficial to the work they are doing,” Malone said.

The visit was coordinated by state Rep. Stephen Kulik.

At Frontier, two students, sophomore Marissa Saunders, 16, and senior Alexis Foley, 17, escorted Malone, who routinely tries to visit as many of the 141 school districts as possible. During the visit, Malone stopped in on an Advanced Placement government course, where he inquired of Deerfield’s history and an Advanced Placement English class, where students watched the “Great Gatsby” film. Malone also enthusiastically visited the school gym and weight room.

At Frontier, Malone said he saw many “good examples of rigor” from the full inclusion of special needs students to the different advanced placement courses.